


On Repeat

by writewithurheart



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Groundhog Day (1993) Fusion, But mainly Olicity fluff, F/M, Groundhog Day, No island, Oliver is NOT a vigilante, Trigger Warnings: Talk of Suicide, because i was watching it and this was all i could think about, inspired by the movie, obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 11:54:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14019687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writewithurheart/pseuds/writewithurheart
Summary: Oliver’s lived this day a hundred times. A hundred thousand times. He gave up counting after a year. The sheer magnitude of days is truly preposterous if he’s being honest. He’s had the best day ever and his worst day. He flew across the world with his best friend and had a wild night in Vegas. He broke every law he could think of. He had a magical day with his producer, and then somewhere along the way fell in love.A Groundhog Day AUTrigger Warning: Talk of Suicide/Suicidal Tendencies.





	On Repeat

Oliver’s lived this day a hundred times. A hundred thousand times. He gave up counting after a year. The sheer magnitude of days is truly preposterous if he’s being honest. He’s had the best day ever and his worst day. He flew across the world with his best friend and had a wild night in Vegas.  He broke every law he could think of. He had a magical day with his producer, and then somewhere along the way fell in love. 

But it hadn’t been all good. No, there were the terrible days, when the loneliness got to him, when he felt like the only person in the whole world. The isolation drove him mad and he tried to take his own life. He tried to die every way he could think of until he realized that this was truly hell he was in. 

“Oliver?” 

He blinks. Oh, right. The news report. The groundhog. 

“Are you alright?” Felicity steps closer, her hand on his shoulder as she tries to get him to meet her eyes. 

In the thousand of repeats of today, he’s memorized the crystal blue of her eyes, how her hair falls in around her face, that adorable tilt of her head when she’s working on a puzzle. He wants to lift tuck a loose strand back behind her ear, to lean in close and tease her. 

He gives in and brushes her hair back. The worry in her eyes nearly guts him. 

“I’m fine, Felicity. Really.” He tries to smile. “I just have to run some errands. I’ll find you and Digg later.” 

“Seriously Oliver, what is going on with you?” 

With all his experience, he should have known she wouldn’t give this up easily. “It’s nothing.” 

“It is not nothing.” She scurries to keep up with him as he crosses the street, gasping with fascination as he pulls her out of the way of a bicycle without pausing. “Oliver, we’ve worked together for what? Three years? And I’ve never seen you act like this.” 

His hand lands on the small of her back as he guides Felicity into the quaint Starling Diner and sits her at a table. He doesn’t bother with the menu and instead smiles at the waitress. 

“Hi, Dorothy. Felicity here will have a stack of chocolate chip pancakes and your biggest cup of coffee. I’ll take a breakfast platter.” 

Felicity blinks at him before sputtering. “You can’t just order for me. Maybe I want something else.” 

He sighs. “You always get coffee. Always black which you joke is like your soul, but we both know that’s a lie. And you’ve got a sweet tooth. You’re a sucker for chocolate chip pancakes.” 

“Well...that’s...how did you know that?” 

“Because I pay attention.” He has. She doesn’t order it every time. Sometimes she orders a fruit salad or oatmeal, but then she just picks at the food in front of her. Whenever she orders pancakes, she practically licks the plate clean, which is just not good for Oliver because then he wants her to lick syrup off of him. 

On second thought, he shouldn’t have order her pancakes. 

“Oliver, do you need to see a doctor?” 

He sighs and twists in his chair to face her. “I’m acting weird, Felicity, because I’ve lived this day over and over again.” 

“Oliver-” 

“Nope.” He cuts her off. “I know what you’re going to say: it’s not possible, but I’m here to tell you we’ve had this conversation before. Right in this diner. I could tell you the life story of everyone in this diner. That’s Nancy. She went to school in Pittsburgh. Lou over there?  He’s three weeks sober. Janet and Clyde are getting married this afternoon, but only if Janet gets over his case of cold feet.” 

“How…” Felicity turns to view the entire restaurant and points to a gangly kid behind the bar. “Him.” 

“Mark. He dropped out of college to help his dad at the diner. He’s also struggling with how to come out to his parents.” 

“Wow.” Felicity turns back to him, dumbfounded. “I don’t know what to say.” 

Oliver chuckles. “Not the first time I heard you say that.” 

“How many times have we done this?” 

“This conversation? Maybe a dozen times.” He smiles at Dorothy as she drops their food off in front of him. “Thanks.” 

Felicity takes a grateful sip of coffee before she refocuses that brilliant mind of hers on the problem at hand. “And how many times have you lived today? Is it just today? Or is like a whole week? Does it always happen at the same time every day? Can you control it? Can you change things or are you just stuck on repeat over and over again?” 

Oliver bites back a smirk. He already feels better with Felicity’s mind on his side. “I can change things, but nothing really matters. I still wake up at six am with the same annoying pop song playing on the radio. Smashing the alarm clock is cathartic though.” 

His tone must clue her in to the fact that he’s keeping something from her because she lowers her fork and turns her attention to him. “How many times have you done this, Oliver? Be honest.” 

He sighs. “Enough times to know that you’re going to try to help me.” He leans forward to stare into those beautiful eyes again. “You can’t. You always try to, but this is my personal hell.” He drops back into his seat, focusing on his plate of eggs. “I’ve died, more than once. I’ve fallen in love. I’ve saved lives, but it never changes. I always wake up, just the same as the day before.” 

“I kind of want to focus on the love thing, but more importantly, you’ve  _ died _ ? Please tell me you did not try to take your own life.” Her hand squeezes his tightly. 

Oliver stares at their joined hands, remembering the one perfect date in the snow, where they got into a snowball fight and fell into a snowbank laughing. He can’t lie to her. “You don’t understand what it’s like, Felicity. I keep changing, but everything around me stays the same. To everyone else, it’s one day. To me, it’s been years. I’ve learned to cook, archery, ice carving,” which is really the most ridiculous of things to learn. “I’ve fallen more and more in love with a woman I can’t have because she never remembers it the next day. There is no tomorrow. There is only today and I’m the only one who can remember it. So what would you do if you had no choice but to keep living the same day over and over and over again until the end of time?!” 

By the end of his speech, his voice rings out through the whole diner, and Felicity wears a look of horror, which he knows is not for him but for what he’s been through. And just like that, Oliver’s had enough. He pushes away from the table, throws down money for food and storms away. 

He’s past the suicide part of his repeats. It’s not his instinct anymore to jump off a building or in front of a car. It’s  pointless. He knows that. So instead he sets out to do something meaningful. He can’t just sit back and watch days happen anymore, so where can he make a difference? 

… 

Oliver saves lives. He memorizes everything that happens in sleepy Starling on Groundhog Day, and he sets up a plan to counter every bad thing. He catches a kid falling out of a tree, has lunch with an elderly woman who just lost her husband, saves a man from choking, convinces Janet to marry Clyde, and so much more. He perfects each schedule, finding happiness in helping others. 

He learns more about Digg and Felicity, coos over pictures of Baby Sara Diggle, laughs at stories of Donna Smoak’s antics, learns Felicity’s favorite Firefly quotes. 

This place might have been his hell, but Oliver’s determined to make it something good with each of his actions. 

For the first time, Oliver gets to everyone in a timely matter. He’s done the most good he could possibly do, including catering for the Groundhog Day Festival Ball. He feels like the glorified belle of the ball as town members rush up and talk to him like they’ve known him their whole lives. For the first time, Hell doesn’t feel so bad. 

Especially when he catches sight of Felicity across the room. She’s standing there in a red dress that takes his breath away. Nothing too revealing, but he can see the cut-outs on her waist from here. There’s fifty people between them, but it feels like they’re the only two in the room. 

He extricates himself from conversation to meet Felicity in the middle of the dance floor, underneath the disco ball. “Hey.” 

She smiles shyly up at him. “Hey.” 

He glances around. “Wanna dance?” The smile he gets in response could bring him to his knees. It’s so bright and purely Felicity. 

“I thought you once said that you don’t dance.” 

He leans in and whispers: “I promise to try not to step on your toes.” 

Felicity laughs, head thrown back as he pulls her into his arms and they start to sway. It feels like coming home for him, even though they’ve never done this before. She relaxes into Oliver’s embrace and tilts her head up at him. 

“What?” That’s her thoughtful face, her I’m-on-to-you face, and it makes him want to pull her in for a kiss. 

“I’m just trying to figure you out,” she answers as they sway. 

“Ask me anything.” 

“You’re different,” she observes. She chews on her bottom lip. “I don’t know how, but you’ve changed.” 

He shrugs. The movement makes him all the more aware of her hand resting on his shoulder. He pulls her closer by the hand on her hip and Felicity comes willingly. That implicit trust between them; That’s the thing that always gets to him. He never realized how much trust was between them until it was his only constant. She always believed him, believed  _ in _ him. 

“What happened to you?” 

“I met a girl,” he responds with a smile he knows for a fact makes girls swoon. Felicity, however, looks unimpressed. He drops the playboy smirk. “I realized there’s more to life than just surviving.” 

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Can I get your attention? I need all the single young men to come to the stage! It’s time for our annual date auction! All the proceeds go to Oliver the Groundhog’s Favorite Charity: Wildlife Rescue.” 

Oliver doesn’t look away from Felicity’s blue eyes. He couldn’t if he tried. They’re like a tractor beam, pulling him in to her gravity and he has no desire to resist. His hand comes up, intending to land on her cheek before someone grabs him. 

“Oliver Queen!” Dorothy declares as she snatches him from Felicity’s grasp and yanks him toward the stage. “What are you doing back here? Carl, I’ve got your first bachelor!” 

From the stage, Oliver finds Felicity again. Her hands cover her mouth as her eyes dance with mirth. He grins at her from the stage and winks. 

“Who wants to start the bidding?” 

“Twenty dollars!” 

“Twenty five!” 

“Thirty!” 

Oliver’s eyes flick between the competing women, a little nervous at the prospect of a night with two women he doesn’t know or care about, even if he’ll get a do-over come morning. He hasn’t spent much time with anyone but Felicity. Not since that day in the diner when she expressed concern over his suicidal tendencies. 

“Two hundred eighty seven dollars and ninety three cents.” 

He knows that voice. Oliver’s eyes dart back to Felicity and her wallet that is raised up in the air.  

“Well, it looks like we have a winner,” Carl announces into stunned silence. “To the lovely lady in red.” His gavel pounds on the podium and it’s the best sound Oliver’s heard in a long time. 

Felicity’s cheeks are a bright red as she hands over all the money in her purse, but there’s no insecurity as she wraps her hand around Oliver’s wrist and drags him from the room. He lets her pull him along until they reach the coat check. She slams her number against the table and taps her foot as she waits for the attendant to grab it. 

Oliver shakes his head at her. She’s back to not meeting his eyes again. “Where are we going?” 

Felicity pauses, her whole body locks up as her eyes meet his. He can see the confusion and uncertainty in her eyes. 

“I didn’t think that far.” 

Oliver bites back a grin. “I can think of place.” It’s the return of the attendant that stops her from responding, and then Oliver is the one to grab her hand. He interlaces their fingers. Her teal nail polish glints from their joined hands. It has Oliver’s heart jumping. 

He detours through the center of town just as the snow starts to fall from the sky in  gentle flakes. Felicity beams in delight, leaning into Oliver. She reaches out a hand to catch a few snowflakes in the palm of her hand. 

“So, now that you’ve purchased me for the evening, what are your plans, Miss Smoak?” He teases. 

Felicity glances up at him and chuckles. “I have no idea. I didn’t really think this through.” 

Oliver chuckles. “I guess it’s a good thing I planned ahead then.” He changes course. 

“You?” Felicity falls back a little in surprise. “What do you mean you planned something?” 

Oliver’s had this planned for months...well, not quite because of the time loop and it being the same day, but the point remains. He’s been planning this for a long time. He grins at her. “I knew if I ever got you to agree to go on a date with me, I would have to pull out all the stops.” 

Felicity stops short. “A date? Is that was this...I mean, it doesn’t have to be a date. I know a date with you was technically auctioned off, but I wasn’t expecting...this doesn’t have to be a date...unless you want it to be…” 

Oliver turns to face her. He has to do this carefully, to make sure she understands just how much he means every single word coming out of his mouth. His hands cup her cheeks. “There is nothing I would like more.” 

“Oh.” 

Their breaths fog in the air between them as they stand, inches apart, in the doorway of the inn Oliver’s staying at. Felicity’s eyes drop to Oliver’s lips and he would close the distance between them  right now if he didn’t already have plans, so he takes a determined step back and takes a deep breath: 

“Felicity Smoak, would you like to have dinner with me?” 

She grins. “I would love that.” 

… 

“Oh my Google,” Felicity moans as she bites into the chicken parm. 

Oliver shifts in his seat. He’s never cooked for her before and her reaction to his cooking is a good reminder as to why it’s good they didn’t do this in private. He already lacks control around Felicity Smoak and when you factor in the sinful noises she’s making while eating his food...Oliver is more than sure she’s the only one for him. They’re moving so slowly it’s killing him, but he doesn’t want to rush this either. He’s going to remember this night for the rest of his infinitely looping life. 

“I didn’t even know you could cook!” 

Oliver runs a bashful hand through his hair. “Its a new skill. I’m glad you like it.” 

“I hope you realize you’re setting the bar pretty high for a first date,” Felicity points out after a sip of her wine. “You just made me probably the most delicious chicken parm I have ever had, and yet I’m pretty sure you had beer and cheerios for breakfast last week.” 

Oliver grimaces at the thought. “Not my brightest moment.” 

Felicity grins. “Yeah, well, like I said, you’ve changed.” 

“Are you saying you wouldn’t have agreed to this if I was still having beer and cheerios for breakfast?” He hasn’t been that boy for years. And he knows she can see it, even if it doesn’t make sense to her right now. 

Felicity shakes her head. “Probably not. Don’t get me wrong: you’re gorgeous and you have a delightful habit of walking around your dressing room shirtless...like shirtless, all the time...what was I saying?” 

“That you like staring at me half-naked,” he teases. Pride pulses through his system at the look in her eyes when she remembers seeing him shirtless. He reaches across the table to clasp her hand, thumb moving in soothing circles over the back of her knuckles. “Hey, you don’t have to be nervous. If we’re being honest, I’ve been watching you too. Although, not half-naked, obviously.” 

Felicity snorts. “Yeah, okay.” 

“Remember the day we met?”  

“I was chewing on a pen.” 

“It was red.” The words aren’t supposed to come out, and then all of a sudden there they are: out in the open, cast between them like a gauntlet. 

This day might restart in less than twelve hours, but as Felicity moves around the table to kiss him, Oliver knows that it doesn’t matter. He has a new favorite day. 

… 

His alarm blares at six am, the same as every morning. He frowns at the tune blasting through the radio. There’s something off about it, but he can’t tell what. He stopped being able to distinguish the song after about a week of waking up on the same day. He can’t even bring his arm up to hit snooze. Last night was perfect and he doesn’t want it to fade, not yet. 

Then the bed shifts and there’s a body leaning across him to slap the radio off. The body land across him with a groan that sets his blood racing. His eyes peek open to a head of blonde curls spread across his chest. Oliver’s hand moves to run along a pale, bare arm. 

“Felicity?” 

“Shhh,” she says against his chest. “I won a date with you. It’s not over yet, which means you have to do what I say, and I say sleep.” 

Oliver blinks and then sits straight up. Felicity groans and pulls the blanket closer around her as Oliver runs to the window. For the first time in eons, the ground is covered in fresh snow. Oliver laughs. 

He turns back to his bed, and slips back beneath the covers, pulling a sleep Felicity into his embrace. “Do you know what today is?” 

She huffs in his face without opening her eyes. “No. What?” 

“Tomorrow.” He laughs again and then presses his lips to her. “Today is tomorrow and you are still here.” 

Felicity’s eyes finally crack open. “What are you talking about?” 

“I’m just happy you stayed.” 

Felicity rolls her eyes. “You asked me to. Although you were boring and fell asleep instead of having fun sexy times.” She pauses, as if considering the words that came out of her mouth. Then she shrugs. “Nope. There’s no saving that, and I meant every word. You got me into bed, Mr. Queen, and I didn’t even get phenomenal sex.”

Oliver chuckles against her lips. He likes morning Felicity, the Felicity whose filter is non-existent because she’s still half asleep. With another kiss, he draws her into wakefulness, waiting until she’s clutching his shoulders before he pulls back for a breath. 

“I think phenomenal sex can be arranged.” 

Felicity grins back at him. “I’m holding you to that, Mr. Queen. You better not disappoint.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I was struck by inspiration and I just had to write this. Unbeta'd but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. Thank you so much for reading! Comments/kudos/bookmarks are always appreciated! <3


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